


Every Other Battle

by Sirenswhisper



Series: Forbidden Desires [1]
Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Kink Meme, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-17
Updated: 2014-03-17
Packaged: 2018-01-16 02:18:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1328245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sirenswhisper/pseuds/Sirenswhisper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cardinal Richelieu knows that getting the king to safety is far more important than his own life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Every Other Battle

**Author's Note:**

> AN: This was written for a prompt on the BBC Musketeers kink meme. This hasn't been betaed so all mistakes are my own. http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/774.html?thread=386310#cmt386310 The Prompt can be found here.

Treville swore under his breath making the king jump, whether that was from the word its self or that it broke the tense silence he wasn't sure. 

“I thought you said your musketeers would distract them.” Richelieu muttered, his breath hot with its closeness to his ear. It wasn't a new sensation and the pleasant memories it stirred up were irritating in this moment of crisis. 

“There are clearly more than we first thought.” Treville hissed back and tried to ignore the quiet frightened whimper of the king as he kept his eyes on their attackers positions. They were walking slowly in and out of the ruined buildings, checking behind ruined walls and shooting things that moved. 

“They're going to kill me aren't they.” Treville barely managed to restrain himself from shhing the man. 

“Keep your voice down.” Was what he said instead as he checked that the assassins closest to them hadn't heard. 

“Your majesty there is no need to worry, Captain Treville will make sure you safely return to Paris.” It seemed to calm the king but it had the opposite effect on Treville. His eyes found Richelieu's, there was a resigned sadness there that made Treville's heart tighten in his chest. 

“You said you not we.” His voice came out barely louder than a breath of air, Richelieu just nodded. A hand slide over his in the barest of touches and he tore his eyes away and back to the maze of ruined walls that littered the landscape. There was a forest not to far off, if they could get there they'd be safe. 

“At least it's a plan.” Came Richelieu's voice in his ear once more and his eyes slide shut for tiniest of moments to enjoy the feel of Richelieu's fingers weaving between his own and then the moment was gone as were the fingers. 

“Tell me your plan and I'll consider it.” He kept his voice business like and pretended this was just like every other battle he'd ever fought. 

“His majesty and I will change clothing. All three of us will leave here together but I'll allow myself to become separted from the two of you. They'll go after me, by the time they've realised I'm not the king you'll both be far away.” He had to admit it was a half decent plan and much better than he'd so far managed to come up with since they had been hiding in this ditch. 

“But they'll kill you.” The king's voice sounded tearful and he was reminded that Richelieu meant a lot to the king, part of him wished he could beg Richelieu not to sacrifice himself. But they both new France came first. 

“It is better I die than you your majesty.” There was a firm calmness to Richelieu's voice and Treville wondered what he was thinking. 

“How can I rule without you?” Treville grit his teeth at the king's words as they hit too close to home with his own thougths, the ones he was doing his best to ignore. Richelieu didn't answer and Treville could see their time running out. 

“Get changed as quickly as you can.” He was relieved that his voice was back to its usual forceful, determind tone. It was then he knew he had accepted that the sacrifice had to be made. Just like every other battle he reminded himself. 

The king and cardinal changed quickly and Treville hoped the assassins wouldn't notice the size difference between the two men. He once more checked the positions of their attackers before turning back to the two men who looked so strange in each others clothing. Richelieu looked good in the fine cloth, it was as if he was perfectly at home in it. Louis however couldn't have looked more out of place. 

“How do you wear this all day?” He asked as he adjusted the leather tunic to sit more comfortably. “It's so hot and heavy, how am I supposed to run in this?” That last part was directed at Treville. 

“Unless you want to die you'll have to.” Louis blinked in surprise but Treville turned his attention back to Richelieu, he'd apologise later when they were out of danger. 

“We need to get moving.” Treville's heart tightened in his chest at Richelieus's words and he found it difficult to swallow, so he just nodded and kept his eyes trained on the man's face as he tried to engrave every detail into his memory. “Do you have a meeting place for the musketeers? I don't want the two of you going back to Paris on your own.” 

Only after a number of thick swallows did Treville find his voice again. “No, we'll head to the forest. They'll find us soon enough.” Treville glanced around again, there was an assassin heading slowly in their direction. It wouldn't be long before he saw them. “We need to move.” He made to do just that but a hand caught his wrist and an arm wrapped around his waist. He turned towards Richelieu who had grabbed him and lost all the breath from his body at the look in his eyes. He wasn't sure who moved first but then their mouths were crushed together in a bruising kiss that he didn't want to end. He buried his fingers into the man's coarse hair. 

Then the moment was over and they were pulling away. He didn't look over at Louis but he could imagine the shocked expression. 

“We can't waste any more time.” His voice sounded rough and his breathing was uneven but he ignored the slightest of smirks on Richelieu's face. Treville grabbed Louis's wrist so that they didn't get separated and ran for it. 

For all his complaining about the heavy clothing Louis ran just as fast as Treville as they made for the forest in front of them. There was the faintest touch on his back and he knew Richelieu was gone. He wanted more than anything to look over at him as he moved away but he kept his eyes on the forest and ran as fast as he could. 

It wasn't until they were concealed in the undergrowth that he looked back. He wished he hadn't as he was just in time to see his lover of three years thrown forward with the force of the musket-ball that hit him. 

For a moment he couldn't breathe and there was a pain in his chest as if he'd been the one shot. Then his breath was coming out in pain-filled gasps, his eyes glued to his lover's body as the assassins turned it over. He felt a tear slid down his cheek and it was enough to bring him back to the present. He had a king to protect. 

He got a tighter hold of the man's arm and moved further into the undergrowth. Just like every other battle he told himself, but the truth was it wasn't because the man he loved was dead.


End file.
